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The “Other” Stephen S

Broadway Icon Stephen Schwartz in conversation with Coral Drouyn, during his recent visit to Australia and New Zealand.

Roar of the Lion

A decade after it toured Australia and New Zealand last, The Lion King returns in December at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. Disney has cast some extraordinary new talent, including an Auckland Rugby Player who has never had an acting lesson, and one of the hottest graduating students from NIDA. David Spicer attended rehearsals for an experience described by a cast member as weird but wonderful.

THE ILLUSIONISTS RETURN

Australian audiences can look forward to a wide and varied spectrum of magic when The Illusionists 2.0 has its World Premiere here in December 2013 and January 2014. Lesley Reed previews the magic spectacular and speaks to ‘The Hypnotist’, Doctor Scott Lewis.

Wesley Enoch: Philip Parsons Memorial Lecture 2013

Queensland Theatre Company Artistic Director Wesley Enoch has labelled some other main stage companies ‘immoral’ for not paying Independent Theatre artists.

Here is an excerpt of his blistering speech delivered for the Philip Parsons Memorial Lecture at Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney December 8, 2013.

2013 CONDA AWARDS

The 35th Annual City of Newcastle Drama Awards (CONDAs) were presented at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre on December 6, 2013, in an evening appropriately themed ‘Applause’. Winners in the 24 categories were spread widely over shows staged in the awards period, the 12 months ended October 31, as 11 productions collected trophies, with 10 groups represented.

The night’s big winner was the Metropolitan Players’ staging of The Phantom of the Opera. It was awarded seven CONDAs, including Best Non-Professional Musical Production.

Old Fitzroy Theatre 2014 Season

Sydney Independent Theatre Company (SITCO) announced its 2014 Season at the iconic Old Fitzroy Theatre this week.

SITCO have programmed an eclectic range of productions, collaborating with a wide variety of emerging and seasoned Australian independent theatre companies and artists. The line‐up consists of mainly Australian plays including five world premieres.

White Night Melbourne 2014

White Night Melbourne returns with expanded program in 2014, and Stage Whispers' Alex Paige was at the launch.

Next February 22, Melbourne’s streets, laneways, public spaces and major cultural institutions will again undergo a dusk-till-dawn transformation into a “cultural playground” for the city’s second annual White Night event.

Then There Were 3

Husband and wife team Craig Alexander and Shelley Higgs had collaborated together on sketch comedy such as The Reindeer Monologues and The Toilet Monologues. They initially intended their current show at The Street Theatre in Canberra to be called The Parenting Monologues, when they realised they had a personal, potentially more meaningful, story to tell from their own experience of post-natal depression. Author Craig Alexander spoke with Cathy Bannister.

Cathy Bannister: Tell me a bit about the show? What can people expect?

La Boite Season 2014

La Boite Theatre Company has announced its season of works for 2014, including a new production of Louis Nowra's Cosi starring Jessica Marais, a world premiere of a play about alien abduction, and an adaptation by Lally Katz of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. 

Artistic Director David Berthold said the season was characterised by great writing, joyous comedy, high adventure and twists on the familiar. 

Strictly Ballroom Cast Announced: Search For Fran Over

After months of auditions, Director Baz Luhrmann and Producer Carmen Pavlovic have announced that the search for the actress to play the role of ‘Fran’ in Strictly Ballroom the Musical is over.

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